Realising They Can't Waste Time
by Laura x Tennant
Summary: Ten and Rose story, set after Age of Steel. Rose feels so guilty. She can't hate the Doctor for losing Mickey, because losing him would be even worse.
1. And she can't feel guilty forever

**A/N: Set after Age of Steel – they've been staying at Jackie's for a good few nights. So Rose is still pondering the loss of Mickey...and her feelings about a certain alien friend of hers...**

**Realising They Can't Waste Time...**

**Part 1**

**...and she can't feel guilty forever.**

There is a swing. Next to a slide. Next to a roundabout. In a park. With trees.

The park and all it contains is located about eight minutes and thirty-four seconds away from her mum's flat. She knows this because this one time, when she was about fourteen, she'd bet Mickey she could be down there in less than ten minutes and he bet she couldn't and timed her to prove it. He was proven wrong, and Rose had laughed and everything was fantastic because she was with her best mate in the whole wide world.

She's always been good at running. And yet that had been the only time she'd really _ran_, fast and furious, determined to win the game. Until she had to _run for her life_, that is. You know, from shop window dummies and the like. When the Doctor showed up and told her to do just that, grabbing her hand as he did so. That was the start of it.

She ran for her life, then she ran after him, and she ran away from her mum and her boyfriend and _then, _she ran for her life some more. And ate chips. Lots and lots of chips.

And held his hand all the way.

But now, she doesn't just run for her life with him – the Doctor, the alien who has become her best friend in the whole wide universe – she runs for the sake of running, for the sake of being alive and that wonderful euphoric feeling you get when you have to stop to catch your breath. Only sometimes, it's hard for her to catch her breath, because they often stumble across something extraordinarily beautiful, like the fireworks of Futia or the purple frozen waterfall on Luci Five. And then there are the times when she just looks at him, her Doctor, her best friend, and sees this mad, dishevelled, beaming Time Lord who she knows, she _knows - _she must be a little bit in love with. And that takes her breath away even more.

But now...right now...

She feels guilty. Not for running away with the Doctor, because she could never feel guilty for that, even if she should. No, she feels guilty for taking Mickey too. Taking him from this world; from Jackie. And having to leave him behind on some _parallel_ world because he _wanted_ to stay there. Save the world, look after his gran, and not live in the shadow of another man, an impossible man, any longer. She left him, used him, and lost him, and it's all her fault, and now Jackie's got no one because in a few hours Rose knows, she _knows, _that she's going to follow said impossible man into an impossible blue box and fly away to a distant galaxy that has the brightest star in the whole universe. Billions upon billions of miles away from home

(her old home)

and memories

(old memories.)

And after about the third planet he takes them to see next, Rose _knows _she'll forget to feel guilty. She'll forget because all she really wants will be with her. And _that _makes her feel even guiltier, and so incredibly, incredibly selfish, at this moment. The fact that she won't feel like this for very long. Not once she's back on track in her better life.

She misses her mum, of course she does, and whenever she does, the Doctor brings her straight back 'home.'

(Which is unusual, really, because he doesn't like domestic stuff. Never usually gets involved with families. And yet, with Rose...it's just different. There are moments when he doesn't want to let her go home. He's a bit selfish, and wants her to himself. But she's his friend, and he likes to make her happy, loves it in fact, and so he always does what she wants even when she doesn't even know she wants it yet. He's good like that. Considerate. Her considerate, caring friend. Who also happened to land them on a parallel world where he lost her other friend to a Gingerbread House. Ah. Doesn't sound so good like that. Maybe he should be extra-extra-attentive to her in the next...well, forever. Actually, that doesn't sound like a bad idea. In fact, he might [will] even enjoy being extra-extra-attentive to her. Yes. Quite.)

And she'll miss Mickey. She knows she will. Saying goodbye to him was awful. Traumatic, even. He is the one guy who has been there her whole life, and now he can't be in her future. It's impossible for her to see him again.

She sits here, on the swing, swaying back and forth gently as she watches a crisp packet drift by and the leaves of the trees ruffle in the soft breeze, thinking over these thoughts. She bites her lip to stop herself crying; she's all cried out and can't start over again. She just sits and watches the place, the park, she used to come to so often – when she was upset, or happy, or it was sunny, or snowing, or to hide, or to play, or to meet her friends...

It's out of the corner of her eye that she finally notices him. The Doctor. The man who she can't even hate for losing Mickey because losing him would be even worse. And it isn't his fault, anyway. She's been trying to tell him that ever since she met him: the things that aren't his fault. She's hugged him fiercely when he couldn't save someone and she's tightened her grip on his hand when an alien taunts him of his sacrifice of Gallifrey.

What she really wants to do is kiss him better, but she thinks that might be going a bit too far.

Anyway, she sees him watching her from over the other side of the park, by the blue fence with the chunk missing - from when she rode her red bike into it that time. She doesn't know if he realises she's realised he's there, simply watching her, presumably to give her some space whilst being absolutely sure she isn't going to break down or something. He walks slowly over to her, and she senses him take his seat on the swing next to her. She smiles softly, and looks up at him with teary eyes.

"Hello," he whispers.

"Hi," she murmurs back.

They share a smile, and then she starts to swing a bit faster, silently challenging him to do the same. They soon find themselves competing in a 'who-can-get-highest' competition, and she giggles happily, glad to feel like laughing instead of crying for once today, when she declares that she wins and he shoots her an injured look.

They slow down, and the swings come to a gentle stop. She glances at the space between them, and is delighted to find his hand already waiting for hers. She links her fingers with him instantly, and they sway their joined hands with a slower momentum than they were swinging at. His thumb strokes against hers and she can't help it when her breath hitches at the touch.

"Bet you and Mr Mickey used to play a lot in here when you were kids," he murmurs encouragingly, urging her to speak to him, after a few silent minutes.

She smiles. "Yeah. Amongst other things." She laughs when he cocks an eyebrow, and she points to the corner of the park. "That's where I cut my leg once. Me and Shareen were fighting, dunno how old we were, and she pushed me. I fell over and cut my leg really deep. She was horrified, bless her," Rose laughs. "Anyway, she ran and got Mickey, and he carried me all the way up to Mum's flat. I'd never seen him act so...gallant," she laughs again. "And never did see him act like that again, not until he helped us save the world." She smiles softly at the memory. Mickey finally proving himself to be a brave hero rather than a scared little boy.

The Doctor tugs on her arm a little, and she frowns. "What?"

"Come here," he instructs, awkwardly pulling her out of her swing and onto his lap.

That wasn't what she was expecting, but...well. Here now. She clears her throat. "And over there," she tells him, in a hushed tone, pointing towards a tree. "Is where he kissed me for the first time." She watches his reaction, giggling internally as his brow crinkles and his nose wrinkles.

"There? Right there? Next to a _bin?" _he dismays.

"Yep," she replies, wondering if she's imagining the way the Doctor's grip on her has tightened.

"That's not very romantic."

"We were teenagers. Teenage boys aren't romantic. It doesn't matter. I didn't need a big song and dance about it. It was sweet."

"Sweet," the Doctor echoed, if a little sarcastically.

"Yeah."

"Right. Sweet," he nods. In his opinion, Rose deserved to be kissed in a much better place than in between a dying tree and an overflowing rubbish bin. But he can't exactly tell her that. He shouldn't. Because she was Mickey's girlfriend back then, and has never been his.

Rose feels a little defensive now. She lets go of his hand and shifts in his lap to face away from him. She folds her arms and huffs purposefully. "He didn't exactly have all of time and space at his disposal, did he? The park and few cans of beer were the best he could do, and I suppose I must've loved him for that."

The Doctor swallows nervously. Ah. Oh dear. She's annoyed at him. Whoops. "Rose," he begins, completely intent on apologising, but then he gets distracted by replaying her words in his head. _He didn't exactly have all of time and space at his disposal, did he?_

Hang on a sec. Is that supposed to be a _hint?_ A _dig?_ A gentle push in the right direction...?

Is that...?

Nah. Course not. This is Rose. She's just lost her ex-boyfriend to a parallel world.

He hugs her closer all the same. "I'm sorry," he whispers close to her ear.

Rose answers immediately, "Not your fault."

He sighs against her hair because they both know that it is. Who else's fault could it be?

He thinks about where he'll take them next. To show her how much he's sorry, and how much she means to him. He doesn't want her to stay here on Earth with her mum, however selfish that may seem...he can't help it, he wants her with him. Always. So he'll show her something spectacular to make sure she stays.

He's thinking this through when suddenly he hears a young woman's voice cry, "Oh my god, it's Rose bloody Tyler!"

**TO BE CONTINUED**

**A/N: Hope you liked the first chapter. Please let me know what you think :D x**


	2. And she can sort of admit her feelings

**Realising They Can't Waste Time...**

**Part 2**

**...and she can admit her feelings to someone, at least.**

Rose turns her head at the sound of Shareen's voice. "Hi, Shareen! How are you?" she asks, jumping off the Doctor's lap and running over to her friend without a backwards glance. He watches after her, smiling at the girls' mutual enthusiasm at seeing each other. Rose's mood looks to have considerably brightened. He supposes that after the last few days, Rose needs someone that's not him to talk to. Plus, Rose must get lonely in general, not having a girl around to talk to about...girly things.

(He resolves to bring her to see Shareen more often. Of course, he knows as he resolves this that this will not happen. As we've already established, he's selfish and wants Rose with him constantly, not off having fun without him.)

He frowns, realising what an idiot he is. It appears, without him really noticing, he has become quite (very) attached to Rose Tyler, and actually, physically, _needs _her with him otherwise he'll go insane.

But he also realises he can't exactly go up to them and snatch Rose back, so he'll let them get on with it and hopefully she won't neglect him too long.

"I'm fine, ta, you?" says Shareen.

"Mmmhmm," Rose replies, shrugging. She's not exactly bouncing-off-the-walls-happy right now, but seeing her friend after so long is cheering her up more than mulling over her thoughts and feeling sorry for herself would.

"So where have you been?" asks Shareen excitedly.

"Oh, here and there," says Rose. Parallel World. Where Mickey Smith is now residing, remember him? she thinks to herself sarcastically. She decides that she'll have to evade any questions about Mickey that Shareen may ask, because she doesn't think that she'll be able to make up a plausible explanation for him not being around now that she feels so guilty.

Shareen seems to accept this as a sufficient answer, having got used to Rose's recent ambiguity. "Haven't seen you for ages. Still travelling with that dishy bloke over there, I take it?"

Rose laughs. "Dishy?" (Oh, course he is. She knows that.) "Um...yeah."

"Well, as I said before, you have my approval, that's for sure," Shareen grins.

Rose's eyes widen. "Oh, no no no. We're not like that, remember?" she tells her.

"Riiighhht," her friend says disbelievingly. She hadn't believed her the last time she'd seen them both and Rose had told her they weren't 'like that.'

"Seriously, we're still not...you know. We're just friends," Rose insists.

Shareen laughs. "You were cuddling a little close over there to be 'just friends,' Rose. I know what I saw."

"He was just comforting me, that's all. It's been a rough day."

Shareen raises an eyebrow. "Ok, so say I believe you...why _aren't _you doing him? I would," she tells her, raking her eyes over the Time Lord on the swing appreciatively.

"Shut up," Rose hisses. Trust Shareen to immediately pounce on _this _particular subject, within minutes of their conversation and with _him_ in possible hearing distance. "He'll hear you!"

(Too late. He already did. Super Time Lord Hearing, after all. He smiles to himself and pretends to watch the family in front of him play football.)

"Ah, so here we go!" laughs Shareen, pleased to have gotten a reaction out of her friend.

"No, it's not that. I just don't want him getting the wrong idea."

(His smile disappears. He frowns, dejected.)

"I think it's a bit late for that, from what I saw of the look on his face when you were sitting on his lap just now."

(Bugger, he thinks. Rather ineloquently for a man of his stature, but oh well. What was that look on his face like, then? He should really be more careful so that people don't notice the way he...well. The way he...sort of...you know. Cares about Rose.)

Rose can't deny that she's interested in this. "Oh?" she prompts, trying to sound indifferent but failing. Epically.

Shareen smiles. "See. You _are _interested. Why don't you just tell him?"

(He listens closely to what Rose has to say to that.)

"There's nothing to tell."

(Oh. Bugger.)

At Shareen's narrowed eyes, Rose elaborates. "It's...complicated."

(His eyebrows shoot up. _Oh_...Blimey...)

"Come on, I've got plenty of time before work. Let's go and get a coffee. Bring him, if you want. Or don't, if you want to talk about him," says Shareen suggestively.

Rose bites her lip. "I'm not sure if I can - "

"Can what?" asks the Doctor, suddenly coming up to stand by Rose. "Hello again, Shareen," he greets cheerfully.

To Rose's dismay, her rather confident and experienced-with-boys friend actually blushes at the Doctor. "Hi there," she beams, her smile slightly flirty. Rose frowns at that, but doesn't say anything. "I was just trying to pry Rose away from you for a bit, before you go swanning off the face of the Earth again."

The Doctor and Rose both bite their lips to stop from laughing at that very accurate turn of phrase.

"Well, go on then. Have fun," he says, smiling widely.

(He's decided to be good, and let go of her for a while. She probably needs some space away from him after what he's done, anyway. And Shareen looks so hopeful at having a good ol' chat with her best mate again.)

Rose turns to face him. "Are you sure? I thought you wanted to get going?"

"Nah, we can stay here another night if you like. The TAR -" he pauses, realising that Shareen's standing right there. He glances at her, and sees that she's rummaging through her bag so is probably not really listening anyway. He's noticed that human women do that a lot. Well. Okay, so he doesn't really notice much about the character traits of other human women, because...well, recently his focus has been on Rose and Rose alone, and considering she doesn't carry around a handbag, he's basing this particular evidence on Jackie. She's forever losing her keys or something, and someone'll be talking to her, and she'll just nod and mumble when she is clearly distracted. Thus, he concludes, Shareen's not listening. "She's still a bit dodgy from the crossing dimensions thing," he says quietly to Rose. "Could do with some rest time."

"Ok. So...do you want to come with us?" asks Rose hopefully, as Shareen returns her gaze to them, popping some chewing gum in her mouth, and she chokes back a retort about how obviously smitten Rose is with him if she can't be without him for five minutes.

"Rose, you're with him all the time. I'm sure you can be apart for a teeny tiny little while, can't you, Doctor?" she whines instead.

He hesitates in his response, staring at Rose. Then he turns to Shareen, blinks a few times. "Yeah. Course we can! You two go. I'll just...find something to do."

"Good. Come on, Rose. Let's go to the pub."

"I thought you said coffee?" laughs Rose, throwing the Doctor a small, grateful smile over her shoulder as they walk away from him.

"Oh, don't be so boring. I want a proper drink with my friend, is that so bad?"

"No, but knowing you, you'll get me drunk and make me reveal all sorts of scandalous things."

(The Doctor raises an eyebrow. He sort of wishes he could hear such things.)

"You know me so well," laughs Shareen, and she spins around to call to her friend's 'just friend.' "Bye Doctor! I'll have her home by twelve! Well, unless she pulls, of course," she grins, and Rose elbows her in the ribs. Shareen doesn't miss the scowl that covers his face at her last sentence before she turns around and smirks. He's got it bad.

"What?" she says, regarding Rose's elbow. "You said you're not together."

"Doesn't mean I want to go out with someone else. It's too difficult, what with travelling all over and that."

"Course," she smirks. "That's the reason."

...

A few hours and several drinks later, Rose and Shareen are laughing hysterically over a funny story from when they were younger.

"And then you were like: _uh-oh...__shiiiit..."_ laughs Rose.

"I was _so_ embarrassed. Jamie said he hasn't looked at a toilet brush the same way since."

"I'm not surprised!"

Shareen giggles into her glass as she takes a swig, then looks up excitedly and asks Rose, "So, fancy going somewhere else? A club or something?"

"Hang on, didn't you mention something about work earlier?"

"Yeah, I phoned in sick while you were in the loo. I told 'em that I...ooh, _hello_," she replies, changing the sentence half-way through. "Look at _them..."_

Rose turns around to regard a couple of men that Shareen's enthusing about. "Eugh, Shareen – I swear you used to have more taste."

"Nah. I just have to take what I can get. Not all of us are as lucky as you, Rosie."

Rose blushes. "Mmm. Well. Like I said. Nothing going on there."

"It's actually probably illegal or something, though, the way you have your Doctor but don't...well, _have _him, if you know what I mean. It's like, you have the chance, but you're ignoring it...it's _ridiculous."_

"We're just friends."

"Yeah, heard that one before, funnily enough. You've said it about seventeen times already this evening, only to go on talking about him all night anyway..."

"I haven't been talking about him all night," Rose denies huffily.

"You _sooo _have."

"Whatever." She blushes an even deeper shade of pink, and Shareen grins.

"Rose fancies the Doctor_," _she singsongs.

"Shut _up," _hisses Rose. "I do _not_ love him."

Shareen's eyes widen. "I didn't say you did. I said you fancy him..." she laughs evilly and Rose shrinks down in her seat. "...which means...you _do _love him, because you wouldn't have denied it so blatantly if you didn't..."

"Not true," Rose mutters.

"Rose is in _looovvvee," _Shareen sings this time.

"Shareen! Stop it! I'm _not."_

"Prove it."

"What?"

"Prove it. Go and snog one of those guys over there."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because that's just wrong. I'm not going to walk up to some stranger and - "

" – kiss them? That's a bit rich. You _ran away_ with a stranger once, remember?"

"That was different."

"Because you _love _him..."

"I didn't kiss him. I've never...we've never...oh, just piss off," she finishes, when Shareen wiggles her eyebrows at her.

"But you want to..."

"No! No, I don't. We're just friends. Why would I want to ruin our friendship by pouncing on him like some horny human girl who can't control her hormones?"

"As oppose to what?" Shareen asks, of course unaware of the fact that the Doctor is an alien. "A horny human man who, for some strange, _strange _reason, took you away from home, showed you the world, but has never, ever made a move on you? He is way too controlled."

Rose rolls her eyes. She can't exactly tell her that actually, he's a Time Lord, so god knows whether he can even feel that way, let alone feel that way about someone like her.

"They say, 'never kiss a friend,'" rationalises Rose calmly.

"Yeah well, 'they' – whoever 'they' are – would even see that that rule doesn't exactly apply to you two. For one thing, you're way more than friends. Maybe not physically, but _emotionally_..."

Rose scoffs. "What are you like," she mutters despairingly.

"...and I saw the way he looks at you. Oh, it's so _romantic._"

"Since when have you liked _romantic?_" asks Rose, laughing.

"Since I've seen you two together and oh...I want that. I want someone to love me like he loves you. He'd walk the earth for you, he would."

Rose swallows thickly, but her mouth is so dry, she can't form a retort to that.

"And you'd do the same for him..." Shareen continues, growing sappier by the second, no doubt fuelled by her slightly tipsy state.

And then some, thinks Rose. "Shareen - " she begins, the word croaking out.

"And don't you even deny it anymore, Rose Tyler!" she chides. "Love is in the air!" she sings loudly, causing some other people to look at her curiously.

"Shareen, stop it," Rose says. She suddenly doesn't feel so well. Having her feelings talked about like this. She's learnt how to keep these things to herself, but now Shareen is reading her like a book.

"What's up with you, eh? Just tell him. He feels the same..."

"You don't know that. You don't know _him._ We can't be like that. Ever," Rose insists.

Shareen narrows her eyes. "He's not gay," she states. It isn't really a question, because she doesn't really doubt her assumptions. She can usually tell someone's sexuality a mile off.

Rose snorts at that. "No." Then she thinks for a moment. "At least, I don't think so," she amends. After all, Time Lords? Did they even sway that way or what? Did they even sway _any_ way? How would she know? He's never mentioned anything about that. Which is probably a good thing. She doesn't fancy that conversation with him. It would be weird. And make things slightly more tempting, hearing him even utter the word _sex._

She coughs awkwardly. _Any_way...

"Then why don't you just...seduce him?" Shareen asks seriously.

Rose laughs out loud. "_Seduce_ him? Don't be silly," she giggles.

"Why not? You can't go on like this, it's not healthy," Shareen tells her gravely.

"I'm fine. I don't even miss that sort of thing."

"Either you're a liar, or you just haven't experienced it properly, then."

Rose rolls her eyes. "Not all of us are insatiable, you know," she says pointedly.

"Evidently. You're not normal."

"Thanks," Rose scoffs.

"No, but seriously. How can you physically resist?"

Rose sighs. "With great difficulty," she admits at last.

Shareen's face lights up. "Wahay! So, seduce him!"

"Shareen, I can't. I can't risk it. I won't risk it."

"You'll regret it."

"What?"

"You'll regret it, when you're on your deathbed thinking over your life. You'll be all: 'I had a great life, but I wish I'd shagged him at least once, just to see what it was like.'"

"Oh, shut up. Course I won't."

"Yes you will. You're in love with him. You're practically a couple in every other way. Sex will only change things for the better, with you two."

Rose frowns contemplatively. "I don't know..."

"You just need to test him a bit. Or tease him a bit. Same difference, really. But you have to do it. Tonight. Then ring me, and let me know how it goes."

"No, Shareen. Anyway, things aren't...well, it's not exactly the best time right now. Plus, I'm knackered."

"Rose! Stop being so uncooperative! This is the most excitement I'm going to get all week. I want to play matchmaker, please let me," pleads Shareen, sounding suspiciously like a whining child.

"I'm...I'm nervous," admits Rose.

"Then get a few more drinks down you. That'll loosen you up a bit!"

Rose sighs dramatically, but she can't deny the little part of her that's lighting up with excitement at the prospect of telling the Doctor how she feels. Not half as reluctantly as she is trying to sound, Rose agrees, huffing out a "Fine."

"Yes!" exclaims her friend, who bounces up to the bar and orders a couple of vodka tonics. This is going to be so much fun!


	3. And she can do as Shareen says, sort of

**Realising They Can't Waste Time...**

**Part 3**

**...and she can do as Shareen says. Sort of. Maybe. A bit. Not really.**

At about eleven o'clock, Rose stumbles out of the pub, her arm linked in Shareen's.

"We sooo shouldn't have drunk that much..." she murmurs, walking unsteadily.

"Yeah, well, now at least you have an excuse if he turns you down! You can just blame it on the alcohol," giggles Shareen.

Rose nudges her harshly. "Oi! Don't say _that._ I'm already scared to death. If he rejects me...oh god, I'd die with embarrassment...I can't believe you're making me do this..."

"Oh, be quiet, I'm not making you do anythin', you wanna do this."

"Whatever," grumbles Rose, carefully walking around a spilt bin bag on the pavement. Shareen isn't so lucky, and tumbles right over it, and the pair of them break into hysterical laughter.

Someone yells out of their window at them to shut up, and Shareen yells right back, "It's only _eleven_, you boring...um..._idiots!"_ which makes Rose laugh even harder. She helps her friend out of the dirty rubbish, wrapping an arm around her waist to heave her up to her feet.

They walk to the Powell Estate, and Rose takes a deep breath. "I can't do this."

"Yeah you can," Shareen insists, giving her a hug. She squeezes tight. "Don't go off on your travels without telling me how it went though, alright?"

Rose nods. "Ok," she replies, feeling a bit nostalgic. This is the kind of thing she sometimes misses, having a friend to talk about this sort of stuff with.

"Have fun!" Shareen smirks as she stumbles in the general direction of her own flat.

"Thanks. Night, Shareen!"

"Nighty, night Rosiiieee!"

And then Rose is left alone. She bites her lip, butterflies flying around in the pit of her stomach, as she squints up at her block of flats. Now or never...

She finds her way up the stairs and to her front door, then suddenly realises that he's probably not even in there. He's probably in the TARDIS. And she knows Shareen would disapprove, but Rose feels slightly relieved. She doesn't actually think she could go through with her and her friend's plan. Not tonight. She unlocks her front door, her breathing settling back to normal as she contemplates just snuggling down in her warm bed and sleeping the drink off.

She feels her nerves explode again when she sees his coat lying over the arm of the sofa. And the distinct figure of the Doctor lying _on_ the sofa, his eyes closed. Rose squints in the dim light – the dull lamp on the coffee table is the only light in the room.

She fails to notice her mum's bag on the floor, which she swiftly falls over. Giggling to herself in a heap on the floor, she tries to set herself straight and get up. But before she can, she feels two strong arms wrap around her waist and haul her up. And really, it should feel friendly. Platonic. Helpful. Like the way she pulled Shareen up when she fell over just now. But the fact that these two arms around her now belong to the man Rose is very much in love with makes it a bit hard for her to keep her pulse rate controlled.

He pulls her up to stand facing him. "Hello," he says softly.

"Helllooo," she agrees, and he notices that her eyes are slightly hazy.

"Rose Tyler, are you drunk?" he asks teasingly, in a mock-stern tone.

She frowns rather comically in mock-confusion. "No. Don't know what'd give you that impression!"

He grins, completely happy to see that she's had fun with Shareen tonight. "Right-o."

He lets go of her and she stumbles forward into his chest. She looks up at him sheepishly. "Ok. Maybe I'm a teensy, _tiny _bit drunk," she surrenders, making a gesture with her thumb and finger to imitate the scale of her drunkenness.

The Doctor laughs and turns her around by the shoulders. "Time for bed, I think," he says, and she wishes he meant what she wants him to mean, because that would make her job at seducing him a whole lot easier, but she knows he doesn't so that's beside the point.

"Yeah," she mumbles. She knows that Shareen would want her to say something like 'are you going to join me?' but she doesn't have the courage.

He gently pushes her through the flat to her bedroom, staying close to her in case she falls over again.

(Yeah, that's the reason he insists to himself.)

She wobbles on her feet a bit when she gets inside and flicks on the light switch, but luckily the Doctor's arm is around her in an instant to support her.

(See? Like that.)

Then she flops herself down on her bed with a contented sigh. The Doctor watches her for a few moments, then realises that he should probably leave. You know, to keep those boundaries intact.

"Night then," he murmurs.

She props herself up on her elbows to look at him. "Um...yeah. Night," she whispers back.

"Are you going to be okay?" he asks her concernedly.

Rose tilts her head to the side. "What d'you mean?"

"Weeelll," he begins, gesturing to her. "I don't know, you're quite jeopardy-friendly, remember. In your drunken stupor you might accidently hurt yourself while getting undressed or something."

(Ok, so he really shouldn't have mentioned her getting undressed. That is just asking for trouble.)

She grins at him mischievously. Right. This is it. This is the closest she's going to get to him mentioning something remotely related to things that happen in bedrooms. She has to just...grab this chance while it's here, or she'll never summon up the courage. "What are you suggesting? Are you going to help me get undressed, or something?" she asks innocently.

To her surprise, his cheeks turn a bit pink. Surprising her even more, he replies casually, "If necessary."

It's her turn to blush, and she flops her head back down on the sheets so he doesn't see. She closes her eyes, and is a bit disappointed when he doesn't say anything else. Then, she can feel herself drifting off to sleep, and reckons that's probably the best idea right now, so –

" – you can't fall asleep like that," he tells her, and she can sense him sitting down on the edge of her bed, the side where her head is.

(He's throwing caution to the wind and has decided to push the boundaries. Just a little bit, mind. Not completely, because that would be dangerous. But this...this is fine. This is acceptable. Nothing wrong with this, he thinks, as he strokes some hair out of her face softly.)

Her breath catches when she feels his fingers brush against her cheek and forehead, and she's suddenly very much awake again; even though her eyes are still closed. She reaches up and grabs his hand before he can pull it away, and slowly drags it down her face, over her lips, before linking her hand with his and letting them rest against the hollow of her neck.

This distracts him somewhat, and he feels a bit hot and bothered.

"You'll be uncomfortable," he continues, trying to sound decidedly unfazed by her movements, and noting the way her legs are hanging of the other side of the bed and how her neck is turned a bit crookedly, without the support of a pillow.

"Make me more comfortable," she mumbles quietly without really thinking, and he chuckles.

"You're so lazy," he whispers, and she feels him remove his hand from hers and shift his body. Then she feels him hook an arm under her legs, and another press into the mattress and under her shoulders, and he swivels her around so that she's lying down properly, with her head on her pillow.

"Ta," she says appreciatively.

"My pleasure," he answers, removing his hands slowly, and she smiles softly. "Anything else, m'lady?" he asks her, affecting a posh butler's sort of voice.

"I think that'll be all, Jeeves," she answers, giggling.

"Good good," he murmurs.

(Not good, he thinks.)

He gets up off the bed. Hesitating just a moment before leaning down and pressing a small kiss to her forehead, he then murmurs, "Sweet dreams," and walks back into the living room to lie on Jackie's sofa for the night.

Rose's eyes flutter open just as he closes the door behind him. Her face is flushed and she can't seem to breathe properly. Then she remembers she actually should inhale some oxygen right now to help with that issue, and gasps for air, releasing the breath she'd unwittingly been holding.

Oh _god, _she thinks. He just kissed her forehead. Right. What does that mean? Okay. Right. Nothing much, probably. Friendly goodnight kiss sort of thing. That's all. Probably just reading too much into it. Probably just a friendly peck, you know. Right. Except, he lingered a bit. It wasn't just a peck. He sort of pressed his lips to her forehead for about seven seconds, which is entirely too long to be considered a peck. So...what does that mean? Oh _god..._

She knows she's never going to get to sleep now. She heaves herself up off the bed to get changed, sighing in confusion.

...

He sits down on the sofa heavily, his mind replaying the last few moments on loop.

Bugger, he thinks. I kissed her. Her forehead. Right. She wouldn't read too much into that, would she? Nah, she's drunk and half-asleep anyway. It's fine. She won't realise. She won't. It was just a peck. Weelll, slightly longer than a peck. But it didn't mean anything. Weelll, it did, but she doesn't know that. She won't realise. She won't.

He tugs at his ear, biting his lip in contemplation about what will happen tomorrow. But she won't say anything, he knows she won't, because she's Rose and anyway, she won't remember once she's all hung-over.

After a few minutes of his internal thoughts warring against each other, he leans back against the sofa and allows himself to remember the soft sigh that she made when he -

He hears the creak of a door, and rationalises that she's just going to the loo or something. Still, he should stop thinking about her, otherwise things will be dangerous. He concentrates on his converses for a moment, absently wondering when they got so dirty. Then, he can hear the soft, if stumbling, pad of her bare feet – she must've taken her shoes off, then – against the carpeted floor. On route to the living room. No, maybe she's just going to the kitchen to get a glass of water or something. Yes, that's probably it –

"Doctor?" he hears her murmur sleepily, and he knows he's done for.

Bugger.

He turns his head to look at her. "Yeah?"

"You're still here?"

He swallows thickly when he sees that she's changed into a long t-shirt that comes down to her mid-thigh. He can't see any pyjama shorts, like she usually wears with a t-shirt in bed, which either means they are very short shorts or she isn't wearing any at all. "Yeah, where else would I be?" he croaks out.

"I thought you'd have gone back to the TARDIS by now," she answers, walking closer to him.

"I'd rather stay here," he replies, then, faced with her surprised expression, adds, "In case you end up doing something silly like hit your head or something. It'd be a waste of precious time if I had to traipse all the way down to the TARDIS, then back up here to see you if you hurt yourself."

"Right," she says, accepting this justification and sitting on the arm of the sofa, barely a few feet between them.

"Why aren't you asleep?" he asks gently.

"Couldn't switch off. Just kept thinking..."

"Thinking? Ooh, Rose, you know it's dangerous for you to do that," he teases, and she whacks him on the chest playfully.

"Oi!"

He grins at her, and pulls on the arm that whacked him, consequently shifting her so that she's very, very close to him. He laughs at her outraged expression. "What were you thinking about?" he questions, as she settles herself down and crosses her legs. Her knee bumps his and he feels a shiver run through him though he's not sure why.

She shivers too, and he notices this, which makes him even more confused.

(Okay...so he knows why, really. He's just a bit scared of what that means.)

"Something Shareen told me to do," Rose admits, averting her eyes and toying with the hem of her t-shirt nervously. He gets a glimpse of a bit more thigh and realises he probably shouldn't be staring at that part of her body or she'll notice, in one way or another. He flicks his gaze back up to her face.

"Yeah?" he mutters in response. "What's that, then?"

**... TBC ...**

**A/N: Bonjour mes amies :) So, what did you think of this chapter? I'd love to know! hint hint :D xxx**


	4. And they can make things more

**Realising They Can't Waste Time...**

**Part 4**

**...and they can make things more.**

She bites her lip and looks him in the eye. "Well...it all started when she was asking about us," she begins.

He gulps. "Oh?" he squeaks out, in a rather high-pitched fashion, though Rose doesn't seem to notice him talking in a different octave to usual because she doesn't tease him about it. "What about us?"

"Well...whether we are...whether we've ever...you know..." she trails off, embarrassed.

"What?" he whispers, almost inaudibly.

"You know," she insists, gesturing between their lower regions with her hands.

She blushes, and wishes he'd blush too, because this is really unfair, the fact that it's all one-sided.

"What did you say?"

"The truth, obviously. That we...weren't like that. Aren't, I mean. Aren't like that," she stutters.

He nods swiftly and appears to ponder something. They sit in an awkward silence for a few moments until he gives into temptation and asks, "And what did she tell you to do about it?"

"She told me to..." she pauses, hesitant to continue.

"Yeah?" he whispers.

"Toseduceyou," she says super-quickly, the words coming out in a rush as she turns an even deeper shade of pink.

"Ah," he breathes out, a bit shakily, it has to be said. "Is that what the moving my hand tantalisingly slowly across your lips and neck was about, then?" he asks curiously.

"Maybe," she giggles. "I'm not very good at the whole seduction thing."

"I wouldn't say that," he mumbles, twisting around to avoid the questioning gaze he knows he'll have prompted with that admission.

"What?" she says, dumbfounded.

"Nothing," he dismisses, deciding that Jackie's shelving unit is very much more fascinating to look at instead of Rose's

(beautiful)

face.

She uncrosses her legs and kneels, bringing herself closer to him. He shuffles a little to left, and she smothers a laugh at his obvious attempt at getting away from her close proximity.

He chances a glance at her, and instantly knows he shouldn't have done, because she's got this adorable expression on her face, her brow slightly furrowed but her lips curving into an unsure smile, her tongue poking out of the corner of her mouth, all as if she's uncovering a deep, dark, mysterious secret and doesn't know what to make of it.

(She is.)

Then his gaze accidently slips to her thighs again, and that's when she gets a blush out of him, because he notices exceedingly quickly that her t-shirt has ridden up even further as she moved. It's really quite ridiculous - ridiculously pushing the boundaries; barely a centimetre further up and he'd be able to see what colour knickers she's wearing!

(Or if she's wearing any at all, he allows himself to briefly consider, before chastising himself for thinking such a thought.)

Feeling a bit braver, Rose takes the opportunity when he's evidently distracted by one thought or another – he's got this far-away look in his eyes – to let her hand gently take a stroll up his arm.

He comes out of his reverie as soon as he feels her touch, and meets her eye quickly, silently asking her what she's doing. And it's quite apparent from her expression that her answer is 'I don't know.' She even shrugs her shoulders.

When he doesn't stop her, though, her hand continues its journey along his chest, fingers pushing past his unbuttoned jacket and touching lightly. He's wearing a dark blue shirt today, no tie, his top button undone, and through the thin material her touch sends shivers down his spine. He can't actually believe the way this woman makes him feel. It's weird.

(And absolutely amazing.)

Then she makes the boldest move she's made so far, and unbuttons another of his shirt buttons to reveal a bit of chest as opposed to just the dip of his collar bone. He gasps in a breath, but to her surprise, he doesn't tell her off, so she takes this as a positive sign. She shifts so that she can face him properly, and without _much _hesitation for once, subsequently ends up hovering over his right thigh, one knee either side of it, the one between his legs not quite touching anywhere but very, very close. She grazes one finger from her other hand down his neck, over his collar bone, and down his little bit of revealed chest, and is delighted when he flinches under the skin-to-skin contact. She undoes another button, and another, her eyes watching her shaking hands, trying not to look him in the eye, and then she can't resist and looks at his face to see what his expression is like.

Her heart almost stops when she sees him staring right back at her, his eyes dark and...and...

Well. Dare she even think it? Is she just imagining it? But he looks...

...lustful.

Rose shivers, and absent-mindedly sits. Then she realises, when their eyes both widen, that she's straddling his thigh. Whoops.

But she doesn't mind, so she stays there.

(He doesn't mind, either.)

They silently stare each other down for about thirty seconds. In fact, twenty-eight. Rose is counting, and so is he. They both secretly tell themselves that they'll wait thirty seconds and if the other doesn't make another move, they will. Consequently, by the time they actually get to thirty, the Doctor and Rose are both already leaning towards each other, their mouths halfway to pressing against the other's. At thirty-one, they meet in the middle and their lips move together at the same time. And at that point in time, time itself seems to cease to exist.

She rises off his leg to lean closer into him, her hands moving into his hair. His hands become active suddenly, and he's touching her like he's wanted to do all night, his hands creeping slowly, slowly, up her legs, tracing patterns on to the backs of her thighs as he finds his way under her t-shirt, moving over knickers-covered

(so she's wearing knickers, then...)

bottom and up to her bare hips. He pulls her closer, until she's pressed tight against him as they kiss for who knows how long.

Then he realises something, and stops kissing her. She pulls back, confused. "What's wrong?" she whispers against his lips.

He doesn't say anything.

"Doctor, what's wrong?" she asks again.

"This is," he answers, and then he sees the hurt look in her eyes and feels terrible. "No, wait, that came out wrong...I mean, _this _isn't wrong, if it was then it wouldn't feel so right, would it? No, course it wouldn't. This is right and we should do it by all accounts, definitely. Lots of times, maybe. I mean, if that's what you want. If it isn't, then that's fine too. Weelll, not _fine_, because it would be a shame to not do this, in my opinion, because I don't know about you but I'm loving this and yet, if you don't, then it's ok, because I wouldn't want you to feel uncomfortable, and we can just act as though nothing's happened. I mean, it would be hard...but I'd do whatever you wanted...and oh god, never mind, I'm rambling again, aren't I?"

She giggles, resting her head on his shoulders. "A bit, yeah," she mumbles good-naturedly.

"It's just...you've been drinking and stuff, and so you're not really in your right mind, and..."

"...and I don't care."

"Evidently...but I do, because I don't want to do this - " he pauses when she, in his opinion very unfairly, presses her knee into a very specific location south of his abdomen that sort of proves he does want to do this, and very much so. He breathes unsteadily and tries to focus on what he's saying. " - if you're going regret it tomorrow."

"I won't regret it," she insists, pressing a kiss to his neck.

"You don't know that."

"Doctor, the very reason I had a little bit to drink - "

" – 'little bit?'" he interrupts, scoffing good-naturedly. She ignores this, however.

" - Was to a) give me a bit of Dutch courage, and b) minimise embarrassment if you didn't...er...let's say, _reciprocate_ my...advances."

He leans back and looks her in the eye. "You doubted that I would 'reciprocate your advances?'"

"Yes," she replies. "I wasn't sure what...um...whether, you, as a Time Lord, would want...or even think about...or like, be up for, er..."

"Making love with you?" he offers quietly.

She blushes again. "Um...well, yeah," she admits.

"Weeelll, as you've probably realised, I'm certainly up for it, but I think you should probably be sober at the time, because - "

" - I'm not _that_ drunk," Rose grumbles. "And it's not like I don't want to do this when I'm sober, anyway."

He's about to retort, when she distracts him by shifting her body again, getting into a different position. Where she moves her knee that's in between his legs to the other side of his left leg, and settles herself so that she's straddling his lap now.

(Right. Nice. Very...very...nice.)

He tries to regain his ability to speak, but she silences him again by pressing on finger to his lips. "Fingers on lips," she murmurs, while she undoes the rest of his shirt with her free hand. "You don't need to say anything right now."

"Rose," he just about manages to mumble around her finger, but her name, rather than sounding like a reprimand – like he intends – comes out as more of a moan when she untucks his shirt from his trousers and runs her hand over his chest.

"Yes?" she answers, a teasing tone evident in her voice.

"Stop," he says, and she can hear him clearly now, because her finger has left his lip, and the hand which that finger belongs to is now travelling down to help her other hand undo his trousers. Despite this fact, she ignores his fairly coherent, if very feeble, request.

She kisses him again, and feels him moan into her mouth when she rocks forward slightly. She smiles against his lips when, as she finally manages to unbutton and unzip his trousers, his hips buck up beneath her.

She pauses then, and rises off his lap so that she's just hovering. At the loss of contact, the Doctor contradicts his initial request with a sound that sounds very much like, "Don't stop." In fact, it sounds exactly like that, because that's what it is, accompanied by a groan of frustration.

"Doctor," she murmurs, staring at him intently. "I - "

He cuts her off her sentence, whatever it is going to be, by pushing her back onto his lap and kissing her again (it's very distracting, is that.) Then, he twists their bodies so that he can fall backwards onto the sofa horizontally.

Rose breaks off the kiss and frowns, suddenly unsure.

She watches the Doctor watch her as she nervously reaches down to the hem of her t-shirt, and pulls it up and over her head. Chucking it over her shoulder, she sees his eyes widen and his Adam's apple bob as he swallows thickly.

She leans down and kisses him again, encouraging his hands to explore all the exposed Rose that he's never had the chance to see before.

"You are completely beautiful," he mumbles against her lips.

"So are you," she smiles.

Then, she spontaneously makes up her mind, and does something very un-Rose-ish.

(At least, he hopes it's un-Rose-ish, because he doesn't like the idea that she does this a lot. With anyone other than him. And considering this is the first time she's doing this with him, he's happy to acknowledge the fact that it's different from anything he's ever seen Rose do before and therefore it is indeed very un-Rose-ish. So there.)

After a few moments, he stops her, and pushes her backwards so that it's her lying on her back on the sofa now. The whispered words "my turn" flutter from his mouth and linger over her lips as he then slowly moves his way down her body, mapping out her skin with tantalising kisses. His tongue traces a symbol on her stomach, and though she knows not what it means, she revels in the feel of him claiming her in this way.

(To him, it quite clearly says 'the Doctor's' in Gallifreyan, but she doesn't have to know that.)

He presses a tender kiss to her hip bone and she bites her lip to stop herself from crying out as he helps her out of her knickers. Waking up Jackie Tyler at a moment like this is something they are definitely not aiming to do.

Rose realises, then, where they are. She'd sort of forgotten. "Um, Doct – _oh," _she falters, as he does something that she's fairly sure is decidedly un-Doctor-ish. She swallows thickly, and tries to focus on what she's saying, although that is incredibly difficult considering she is now completely naked and completely underneath the man she's _completely_ in love with. "Doctor..." He doesn't answer. He's a bit preoccupied. "Doctor, oh god, um...we're on my Mum's sofa...she could...she's just...next...could um, hear..." she stutters, and he pauses and shifts slightly away. She moans at the loss. That's when she surrenders. "Oh, you know what? Never mind."

She can feel his lips curve into a smile against her thigh, and then he crawls up her body again and kisses her forcefully. She groans in frustration when he pulls back, and suspends himself on his elbows so that he's not touching her at all. "By the way, Rose, word of advice. You know, for future reference. Please, don't ever, _ever _mention your mother at moments like this," he tells her mock-sternly.

"Future reference?" she grins cheekily.

He sighs. "Typical you that that's the only bit you paid attention to."

She giggles. "I feel like a teenager."

"Well, it was only a year ago that you were one," he retorts. He wonders then, if she ever really considers the absolutely, ridiculously huge _'one hell of an age gap'_ between them.

When she runs a hand down his torso he realises that she evidently doesn't care about that one little bit.

"No, I mean being on the sofa and stuff. In my Mum's flat."

He frowns while he ingests this information.

She realises what he might think by that. "Not that I've done this on my Mum's sofa before," she insists, and he raises an eyebrow. "I just meant it's not a very adult-like thing to do is it? Risking getting caught by a mum when our own place is only downstairs."

His expression relaxes. "Firstly, this seems pretty adult-like to me, and b) the TARDIS is far too far away. Can't possibly walk down all those stairs in this condition," he murmurs, and she laughs into his chest as she leans up to hug him close.

"Doctor..." she murmurs slowly.

(Seductively, in his opinion. He's never heard someone say his name quite like that before, and he's pretty sure he loves it a lot, hearing it from Rose Tyler.)

"Yeah?" he replies, a little breathless just contemplating what she might say next.

"I'd sort of like to stop talking and get on with it now," she says, smiling cheekily.

He sighs in relief. "Blimey, I thought you'd never ask," he tells her, grinning in his adorable, awestruck way.


	5. And time has been wasted for too long

**Realising They Can't Waste Time...**

**Part 5**

**...and that time has already been wasted for too long.**

"That was..." she trails off, unable to think of a sufficient adjective.

"Yeah..." the Doctor agrees, feeling dizzy.

She flings an arm across his waist. "Shareen's gonna be very proud," she mumbles sleepily into his chest.

He chuckles. "What are you going to tell her?"

"_Every_thing," Rose replies mischievously.

He trails a hand down her arm softly. "Really?" he asks her, wrinkling his nose up.

"Yep."

"Right. Nice."

"Doctor," Rose says, after a few moments.

"Yeah?"

"Would you have ever...if I hadn't of made a move, would you have ever...?"

He nuzzles her hair, then leans his head down to kiss her forehead. "I think it was only a matter of time before things reached boiling point. But I wouldn't have done or said anything yet."

She opens her eyes. "Why not?"

"After everything that's happened recently...I thought that you'd hate me."

"I could never hate you," she reassures him. "I don't blame you for...what happened. I never do."

"You should."

"But I don't," she insists. She smiles a dazzling smile then, not wanting the lightened mood to diminish, and asks, "So...have you thought about this before?"

He averts his eyes. "Maybe a few times," he admits quietly.

Rose grins, and presses a kiss to his collar bone. "Good."

He looks back at her, and hears her breathing start to even out. "Rose?"

"Mmm?"

"You can't fall asleep yet."

"Humans don't have as much stamina as you. I'm already knackered," she replies sleepily, patting his arm affectionately.

"I didn't mean that. _Although, _it would be...no. No, never mind. Anyway, it's just, if your mum walks in on us intertwined like this on her sofa with no clothes on, I fear she may come to some absolutely correct conclusions."

"Ah," she responds, opening her eyes again. "You may be right."

Reluctantly, they break apart and sit up. The Doctor starts to get back into his suit, and Rose pulls on her t-shirt. She immediately flops back down on the sofa.

He laughs. "Rose, don't you think you better go back into your bedroom?" he asks, brushing her hair out of her face tenderly.

"No," she answers, looking up at him. "I want to fall asleep with you."

"Well, you could, in your room. Then I'll just come out before your mum wakes up."

"I want to wake _up_ with you, too," she insists. "So that I know that - " she starts to say, then stops herself.

The Doctor frowns. "Know what?"

She sighs. "That you won't regret this, and then go on as though it never happened in the morning."

"I'll never regret this. How could I possibly regret this?"

Rose blinks up at him in surprise - surprise at this entire situation, and the way he seems to be accepting it rather than running away like she thought he would.

He leans forward, and brushes his lips against hers in a gentle kiss. "I'd like to wake up with you too," he says.

She beams at him. "Good. Then let's snuggle right here."

He groans. "Rose, your mother - "

"My _mother _thinks we've been doing this for months."

"Oh," he breathes, feeling as though the wind's been knocked out of him.

"Yes. _Oh._ But if it'll make you feel any better, wake me up when it gets to around seven, then I'll shift to my room, okay?"

He relents then, nodding, and settles down next to her, bringing his jacket up to cover her bare legs. She snuggles into him, her arms wrapping tightly around his waist, and he strokes her hair until he himself falls asleep.

...

Jackie wakes up earlier than usual the next morning. Yawning, she walks into the living room expecting to find the Doctor awake and messing around with her video player or something, like he's been doing of an early morning these past few days.

Instead, she finds him messing around with something much more shocking.

"_Doc_tor," Rose giggles happily.

Raising an eyebrow and with her arms folded impatiently, Jackie stands still, watching that alien that seems to be lodging with them at the moment press a kiss to her daughter's neck.

"It's seven o'clock," the Doctor murmurs quietly. "You have to move. I'm just waking you up, like you asked me too."

"Mmm, I don't want to get up now. Didn't realise you'd be waking me up so...nicely..." replies Rose, thrusting her hands into the Doctor's hair and shifting his head a little lower down her chest and pulling his hands up to grasp at the hem of her t-shirt.

Okay, so Jackie can't physically stomach listening/watching any more of this. "Rose Tyler," she says sternly.

Rose's giggles immediately stop, and the room becomes silent.

The Doctor removes his hands from Rose's stomach, and removes his lips from her chest. "Ah," he murmurs.

Rose opens her eyes and turns her head to see Jackie, hastily pushing the Doctor off of her and sitting up straight at the same time. "Hi Mum. Erm...this isn't...um..."

"This is exactly what it looks like," the Doctor says, only to receive a sharp poke in the chest from Rose. "What?" he mouthes at her, hurt and confused.

(Jackie isn't stupid. Weeelll, not _that _stupid. And Rose said herself that she had thought they'd been together for ages. She isn't exactly going to believe something like: 'oh, he was just...we weren't...this isn't what it looks like...there's a perfectly good explanation for this...' is she? No, she is not. Therefore, he really doesn't think his honest statement required a poke in the chest to accompany it, thank you very much.)

Jackie sighs. "You two," she reprimands, shaking her head. "Are like teenagers."

Rose looks at the Doctor pointedly at that, with a _'see!'_ sort of smirk on her face.

"I don't care what you do in that blue box of yours, but I don't particularly want to witness you fondling my daughter on my sofa thanks," Jackie continues, directing this at the Doctor.

He nods solemnly. "Sorry Jackie. But it was all Rose's fault! See, she seduced me last night."

Rose pokes him again.

"Ow!" he exclaims.

"You deserved that one," Rose answers.

"I don't care who started it. Point is, you don't start it in this flat, okay?"

"Okay," agrees the Doctor, feeling like he just sold his soul to the Devil.

"Rose?" Jackie prompts.

Rose looks up at her, biting her lip to keep from laughing. "Yes. Okay. Sorry Mum."

"Right. Well. Good. So, breakfast?" asks Jackie.

The Doctor glances at Rose. Rose glances back at him.

"Um, actually, I think I'd better go and get dressed," begins Rose.

"And I should...um...help her," the Doctor finishes, the both of them standing up.

"Do you ever _listen_?" exasperates Jackie. "Just...oh, just go back in your box," she dismisses.

Rose had been hoping that was what she was going to say. "Thanks," she smiles.

The Doctor's already halfway to the door, but stops when Rose follows him. "Rose."

"Yes?" she grins.

"You'll be giving the neighbours a bit too much of a show if you walk downstairs in just a long t-shirt."

"Oh," she replies, looking down at herself.

"I'd say park it up here, but I dunno how soundproof that box's walls are," Jackie comments casually as she makes her way into the kitchen to get herself a cuppa.

The Doctor blinks, dumbfounded, and Rose shrieks, "Mum!"

Jackie comes back out to them. "Look, you two can go off on your travels again now, if you like. You don't have to stick around. You look like you're feeling better, Rose, and so you can leave now, if you want," she mutters quietly, trying to sound indifferent.

"Rose is going to see Shareen again today, Jackie. So we'll stick around another day, if that's okay?" supplies the Doctor, to Rose's surprise.

Jackie beams at him. "Alright then. Well, you two go and do whatever for the morning, and ask Shareen over - well, if she feels up to it, no doubt she' got a hangover, eh Rose? - for lunch, yeah?"

Rose smiles. "Yeah. Okay. I'll just go and find some jeans..." she replies, wandering off to her old bedroom.

"Thanks, Doctor," Jackie says softly when Rose is out of the room.

"What for?" he asks in confusion. He'd thought he'd be in for a slap after she'd witnessed him kissing a half-naked Rose.

"For making her happy."

"Oh," he replies, touched. He clears his throat. "Well, I don't know about that. I've put her through so much, I - "

"But you love her. And that's what matters," assures Jackie.

He stares at her, a lump coming to his throat, and just nods gently.

"Right! No longer trouser-less, I'm ready for action," calls Rose, walking back into the room.

"Bad choice of words, Rose," sighs her mum.

The Doctor chuckles at Rose's frown, and takes her hand. "So, what do you want to do this morning?" he asks as they walk out of the front door. Jackie sighs. As if _that_ isn't obvious, she thinks.

Rose closes the door. "I've realised something," she says, not answering his question.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."

"What's that?"

"I think we've wasted too much time, so far."

"Hmm?"

"So, we need to make up for that."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I've realised something else, too."

"What's that?"

"We have a time machine. And so, we don't really have to be back for lunch until we're actually ready."

"Ah, I like the way you think, Rose Tyler."

"Me too. It's fun."

"Alons-y?"

"Alons-y," she agrees, with a swift nod.

...

_The end x_

_hope you enjoyed, please review :) lovesya x_


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